Monthly Archives April 2020

National Paranormal Day

National Paranormal Day

As a kid, my journey into reading and loving books began with the paranormal. I devoured Nancy Drew and Hardy Boy books along with R.L Stine’s Fear Street. I quickly moved to comic books like The Maxx, horror books by Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and my favorite author Robert R. McCammon. I also began to venture into manga, especially CLAMP, an all-female Japanese writing group that wrote Cardcaptur Sakura, xxxHolic, and Tsubasa. Most of their manga has elements of Japanese mysticism and the occult. With the popularity of Stranger Things, we can see that the paranormal can be a coming
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April 30, 2020 2:11 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: eBooks, Observances and Celebrations, Paranormal Day, and staff recommendations.

Free Comic Book Day

Free Comic Book Day

While Free Comic Book Day (usually celebrated on the first Saturday of May each year) has been postponed due to the virus, and the Library is unable to host our usual big celebration with fun activities and comics to give away thanks to Aw Yeah! Comics in Harrison, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t enjoy some comics at home! To get your comics fix, I do encourage you to check in with your local comic book shops (Find yours here!). Many are doing great virtual events, offering deals on comics to get physical books to you at home by pulling titles
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April 30, 2020 1:26 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Featured, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: comics, Free Comic Book Day, graphic novels, and Observances and Celebrations.

Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo, or the fifth of May, is a holiday that celebrates the date of the Mexican army’s May 5, 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War. Enjoy these books about the holiday and more books that celebrate Mexican culture. Books About Cinco de Mayo/May 5th: Celebra el Cinco de Mayo con un jarabe tapatío, by Alma Flor Ada, F. Isabel Campoy (Spanish) (OverDrive) Marco’s Cinco de Mayo, by Lisa Bullard (Hoopla) Cinco de Mouse-O!, by Judy Cox (Audio-Book) (Hoopla) Cinco de Mayo, by Rachel Grack (Hoopla) Cinco de Mayo, by M.C. Hall
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April 30, 2020 1:08 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Cinco de Mayo, eBooks, Observances and Celebrations, staff recommendations, and virtual book display.

Hoopla Staff Picks: Grown Up Comics

Hoopla Staff Picks: Grown Up Comics

Possibly our most dynamic digital resource, Hoopla includes a variety of different formats from books to movies and music. In order to highlight some of these, we've gathered staff recommendations of just a few formats you can stream and download with your library card. Below are some graphic novel recommendations from Manager of Youth Services, Josh Carlson. These titles are all phenomenal, but are definitely not for kids. Did you just binge watch The Boys, Locke and Key, The Witcher, or Watchmen? These comics are where those, and other great shows, came from: The Witcher Locke and Key The Umbrella
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April 30, 2020 12:54 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: comics, comics for adults, Free Comic Book Day, graphic novels, hoopla, Observances and Celebrations, staff picks, and staff recommendations.

Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month

May is Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, “celebrating the achievements and contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States….The month of May was chosen to commemorate the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants to the United States on May 7, 1843, and to mark the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. The majority of the workers who laid the tracks were Chinese immigrants.”—APAICS Here is a list of eBooks, Audiobooks, and a Graphic Novel celebrating Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month. All these books can be found on OverDrive on
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April 30, 2020 11:54 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, eBooks, Observances and Celebrations, OverDrive, staff recommendations, and virtual book display.

STEAM at Home: Phases of the Moon

STEAM at Home: Phases of the Moon

The First Friday in May is National Space Day. To celebrate, you and your family can create a fun activity that is also tasty! For a Phases of the Moon Craft you will need a pencil, strips of paper (to write down the phases of the moon), a marker, paper towel, paper/regular plates and cream filled cookies to twist open. Twist off all the cookies and practice math skills by explaining that you now have eight cookies to create your craft. Start with The New Moon by scraping the cream off. Explain that a New Moon is when the moon
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April 30, 2020 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Observances and Celebrations, phases of the moon, Space Day, STEAM activities, and STEAM at home.

Virtual Table Top Gaming Programs

Virtual Table Top Gaming Programs

Do you miss playing fun games with your friends at the library? Join Ashley and Erik from the Trove and the Edge to play virtual table top games! Before our first program, please have your parent or caregiver help you create a free online account on boardgamearena.com. Note: Boardgamearena.com does have a for-pay premium service. Please take care when creating your account to not incur any unwanted charges. We will host the game on Zoom and play the games on boardgamearena.com. We’ll play Kingdomino, Solo, and Sushi Go! For children and teens in grades 4 and up! Our first session
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April 30, 2020 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: events, programs, and Virtual Table Top Gaming.

Hoopla Staff Picks: Fantasy Novels

Hoopla Staff Picks: Fantasy Novels

Possibly our most dynamic digital resource, Hoopla includes a variety of different formats from books to movies and music. In order to highlight some of these, we've gathered staff recommendations of just a few formats you can stream and download with your library card. Below are some fantasy novel recommendations from Programming Librarian Kristy Bauman. Hardinge, Frances. The Lie Tree. Abrams, 2016. Set in a male-dominated Victorian society, we follow the life and story of 14-year-old Faith Sunderly. Faith’s family has recently moved to the island of Vane following the mysterious death of her scientist father. Thought to be shy,
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April 29, 2020 2:30 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Featured, and Library News.
Tags: Fantasy, hoopla, and staff recommendations.

COVID-19 Writing Prompt: Community Poem

COVID-19 Writing Prompt: Community Poem

Poetry is a party on a page and poems, people and words have PERSONALITIES Words have personality and life of their own: Happy, Sad, Angry, Lazy And, in times like these, we can sometimes feel like the universe has completely changed. What if part of this change was to make us each an inanimate object…our job in this poetry prompt is to pick the object that best represents us during this strange time. And, then to breathe LIFE into that object. Every inanimate objects have a personality: stapler, scissors etc What inanimate object best represents you? Now here are the
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April 29, 2020 2:27 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: COVID-19, eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: covid-19, poetry prompt, and Zork.

Absentee Ballot for NY Primary

Absentee Ballot for NY Primary

Do you want to vote in the June 23 primary but fear going to your polling place because of COVID-19? Now you can vote by absentee ballot even if you don’t meet the usual conditions (being out of town, having a temporary or permanent illness, etc.). Recently Governor Cuomo issued an executive order that makes it easier for New Yorkers to vote by absentee ballot for any elections on or before June 23. To get an absentee ballot, you have to fill out and submit an application first. The New York State Board of Elections is mailing all eligible voters
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April 29, 2020 1:25 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: absentee ballot, vote, and voting.

May the Fourth Be With You!

May the Fourth Be With You!

May 4 is Star Wars Day! Youth Services librarians have a variety of great things to celebrate. Star Wars kids eBooks and music Star Wars YA eBooks May the Fourth Be With You – Josh’s Picks STEAM at Home: Origami Yoda STEAM at Home: Pool Noodle Lightsabers STEAM at Home: Toilet Paper Roll Star Wars Characters For more Star Wars fun, check out: Star Wars Uncut – Fans were given 15 second segments from the films and created their own remixed versions of Episode IV: A New Hope and Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back Star Wars Kids Activities from
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April 29, 2020 1:23 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: eBooks, May the 4th Be With You, May the Fourth Be With You, Observances and Celebrations, staff recommendations, Star Wars, and STEAM.

May the Fourth Be With You: Josh’s Picks

May the Fourth Be With You: Josh’s Picks

Here’s a list of interesting and different Star Wars related content to help you celebrate May the Fourth! Plastic Galaxy – The Story of Star Wars Toys (movie on Hoopla) Star Wars toys helped to redefine toys and merchandising forever. Learn more about their origins, collectability and more in this interesting documentary. Are You Scared, Darth Vader? By Adam Rex (available on Hoopla, Overdrive, and Libby) This hilarious picture book is fun for kids, but possibly even more fun for their Star Wars fan parents. Music Inspired by Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk by Mecco (music on Hoopla) A
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April 29, 2020 10:36 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: digital materials, eBooks, May the 4th Be With You, May the Fourth Be With You, Observances and Celebrations, staff recommendations, and Star Wars.

Star Wars YA Fiction

Star Wars YA Fiction

I am something of a latecomer to the Star Wars universe. In fact, a couple of years ago I assembled a Halloween costume from a Stormtrooper helmet and a lightsaber, blissfully unaware of my error. But recently my preschooler has begun reading Star Wars graphic novels, helping me become more familiar with the setting and characters. For example, he now refers to his baby sister as “a Sand People from Tatooine”—that’s a good thing, right? He adores Kylo Ren and celebrates the accomplishments of “Separatist Leader General Grievous.” Actually, I’m afraid my child might be turning to the Dark Side.
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April 29, 2020 10:07 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: book recommendations, May the 4th Be With You, May the Fourth Be With You, Observances and Celebrations, Star Wars, and YA Fiction.

STEAM at Home: Origami Yoda

STEAM at Home: Origami Yoda

I had never seen Star Wars until my freshman year in college. My roommate, Elizabeth, decided that we needed a marathon. So it began-my introduction to The Force, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, Obi One Kenobi, Han Solo, Jabba the Hut, R2D2, Darth Vader, Ewoks and many phrases that everyone is familiar with: “Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope.” and “May the Force Be With You.” I also became fascinated with Joseph Cambell’s “The Hero's Journey,” from his seminal work, The Hero With a Thousand Faces, which George Lucas used as inspiration for creating Star Wars. If you’re
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April 29, 2020 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: craft, May the 4th Be With You, May the Fourth Be With You, Observances and Celebrations, Origami, Star Wars, STEAM, STEAM at home, and yoda.

Star Wars Kids Titles

Star Wars Kids Titles

“Star Wars Day, May 4, celebrates George Lucas' Star Wars. It is observed by fans of the media franchise. Observance of the commemorative day spread quickly through media and grassroots celebrations. The date was chosen for the pun on the catchphrase ‘May the Force be with you' as ‘May the Fourth be with you'. Even though the holiday was not created or declared by Lucasfilm, many Star Wars fans across the world have chosen to celebrate the holiday. It has since been embraced by Lucasfilm and parent company Disney as an annual celebration of Star Wars.” Origami Yoda Series, by
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April 29, 2020 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: children's literature, May the 4th Be With You, May the Fourth Be With You, Observances and Celebrations, and Star Wars.

STEAM at Home: DIY Lightsabers

STEAM at Home: DIY Lightsabers

May the Fourth Be With You! In this fun project, we will make some DIY Lightsabers, safe for bopping each other with and having duels (of the fates)! Just don’t bop too hard. Materials Needed Pool noodles or long paper tubes (such as wrapping paper tubes or a few paper towel tubes taped together) Duct tape Sharpie/indelible markers Scissors or a utility knife For paper tube lightsabers, you may also want: paint, construction paper, scotch tape and glue in order to make your lightsaber blade have a color My daughter and I made our two lightsabers from one pool noodle
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April 29, 2020 9:36 am | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: May the 4th Be With You, May the Fourth Be With You, Observances and Celebrations, Star Wars, STEAM activities, and STEAM at home.

Teen Calendar

Teen Calendar

Yes, our beautiful building at 100 Martine is temporarily closed, but it turns out there are plenty of other ways we can keep the Library open and still serve White Plains. Join us on Zoom (thanks to support from the White Plains Library Foundation) with a variety of virtual events presented by Library staff and local experts. Find a full listing of events below with details on attending. And don't forget, you can reach us Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at our new number 914-448-4859, by texting WPPL to 66746, or by emailing us anytime. Ideas for
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April 28, 2020 4:41 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Events, Homepage Teens, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: edge events, events, teen calendar, and virtual calendar.

Virtual Calendar

Virtual Calendar

Yes, our beautiful building at 100 Martine is temporarily closed, but it turns out there are plenty of other ways we can keep the Library open and still serve White Plains. Join us on Zoom (thanks to support from the White Plains Library Foundation) with a variety of virtual events presented by Library staff and local experts. Find a full listing of events below with details on attending. And don't forget, you can reach us Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at our new number 914-448-4859, by texting WPPL to 66746, or by emailing us anytime. Ideas for
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April 28, 2020 4:38 pm | by | 4 Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Events, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: virtual calendar.

eBooks to Help Children Understand COVID-19

eBooks to Help Children Understand COVID-19

This crisis is difficult for everyone to comprehend. Children, especially, may be having a hard time understanding what is going on – what the virus is, why we are isolating at home, and how to deal with their anxieties and fears. Below are some free downloadable ebooks that talk about what the pandemic is and responses to it. Rainbows in Windows – A Book about Big Imaginations, Big Feelings, and Sheltering in Place During a Pandemic. Link also includes a video of Donald Sutherland reading the book. Coronavirus: A Book for Children St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Learn About Coronavirus
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April 28, 2020 10:29 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, COVID-19, eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's literature, coronavirus, covid-19, and eBooks.

Haitian Heritage Month

Haitian Heritage Month

“Haitian Heritage Month is a nationally recognized month and an opportunity for individuals including Haitians and lovers of the Haitian culture to celebrate the rich culture, distinctive art, delicious food and learn the traditions of Haiti and its people.”—Haitian Heritage Museum Get to know Haiti, its people, and its culture with these books available on Overdrive and Hoopla. Enjoy! Behind the Mountains, by Edwidge Danticat (Available on Overdrive) Eight Days, by Edwidge Danticat (Available on Overdrive) Mama’s Nightingale, by Edwidge Danticat (Available on Overdrive, as eBook and Audiobook) Sélavi, That is Life, by Youme Landowne (Available on OverDrive and Hoopla)
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April 27, 2020 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's literature, Haiti, Haitian Heritage Month, Observances and Celebrations, and virtual book display.